Hamas rejects Saudi claim that it is a terror organization, says Saudi push to isolate it is ‘regrettable’; and Muslim Brotherhood blasts Saudi Arabia for Adel Al-Jubeir’s comments.
Hamas on Wednesday responded to a demand by Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister, Adel Al-Jubeir, that Qatar end its support for Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood as a precondition for reconciliation with other Gulf states.
A statement issued by Hamas said that Jubeir’s remarks were a blow to the Palestinian people and to the Arab and Islamic nation, which place the Palestinian issue at the top of its list of priorities and consider Hamas a movement that is fighting a legitimate struggle against the “occupation”.
The Muslim Brotherhood, which is Hamas’s parent movement, also rejected the Saudi Foreign Minister’s remarks. In a statement, the group urged the Saudi regime to stop supporting Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi and refrain from listening to the advice of the leaders of the United Arab Emirates.
On Monday, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates all cut diplomatic ties with Qatar and shut down land, sea and air links.
Those countries accuse Qatar of supporting terror groups in the region, a charge denied by Qatar.
The spat between Qatar and the other Arab countries began late last month, when Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt all blocked the website of the Qatari-owned Al-Jazeera television network.
That move followed comments attributed to Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, in which he allegedly described Iran as an “Islamic power” and criticized U.S. President Donald Trump’s policy towards Tehran.
Qatar claimed that its Emir had not made the comments attributed to him, saying the website of its official news agency was hacked.
Saudi push to isolate Hamas is ‘regrettable’: al-Masri
A Hamas official says Saudi Arabia’s call to Qatar to cut ties with the Palestinian group is “regrettable” and contradicts traditional Arab support for the Palestinian cause.
Hamas official Mushir al-Masri also accused Saudi Arabia on Wednesday of siding with “American and Zionist calls to put Hamas on the terrorism list.”
Al-Masri’s strongly worded criticism of regional powerhouse Saudi Arabia was unusual for Hamas.
Qatar has been one of the few foreign backers of internationally shunned Hamas, an Islamic militant group that has ruled the Gaza Strip since 2007.
Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries cut ties with Qatar this week, accusing it of supporting extremists. Qatar has denied the allegations.
Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir said Tuesday that Qatar must sever ties with Hamas
